REVIEWS: 2007 Mini Cooper S

When you boil it all down, there's only one thing to say about the new Mini: it looks a lot like the old Mini. Yes, it's better; yes, it's faster; yes, the engineers continually emphasize the number of parts that aren't shared with the outgoing car. But the point remains: underneath it all, the design seems to say, the new Mini is still a Mini.

This, predictably enough, is exactly how the engineers at BMW, Mini's parent company, planned it. The differences are hard to catch unless you've got both the new and the old car side by side. The new version may be bigger in every way, but the proportions and deep-fried retro styling cues haven't changed.

There are a bunch of possible explanations for this, but most likely, the Mini didn't get altered much because the Germans didn't want to mess with a good thing. More than 150,000 examples of the 2002-2006 Mini have sold here--better than twice the official sales estimates. Suddenly, car companies and product planners had proof that a fun, relatively inexpensive, dynamically balanced small car could work in America. Stateside drivers went nuts. Cultlike single-marque clubs sprung up almost instantly. BMW, as surprised as anyone, sat back and watched the cash roll in.

So what happens when you try to improve upon a success? In the world of cars, "newer" usually means "bigger, fatter, and faster." The new Mini is indeed larger (exterior length goes up by nearly three inches), but thanks to the extensive use of aluminum in both engine construction and the rear suspension, an '07 Mini Cooper weighs about the same as a similar '06 (the stick-shift S is actually eleven pounds lighter than before). Power now comes from a 1.6-liter, aluminum-block four-cylinder; 118-hp Cooper models get BMW's Valvetronic variable valve-lift technology, while the 172-hp Cooper S gains direct injection and a twin-scroll turbocharger offering 11.6 pounds of max boost. (The turbo powertrain, however, necessitated a relocation of the intercooler, which means that the Cooper S's signature hood scoop is no longer functional.)

Although Europeans are buying their first '07 Minis right now, the new car won't make it to our shores until February. The long-wheelbase Mini arrives within the following year and will probably be badged the Clubman or the Traveller. The new convertible will come along soon after; the current convertible will be sold until then.

The John Cooper Work tuning kit (JCW) wasn't a simple upgrade on the last-generation Mini Cooper S: it was labor-intensive to install and included expensive items like a new supercharger and cylinder head.

Of the trio the pint-sized concepts on the Chevrolet display at New York, the Beat is the most complete package. It's the only one with a full interior and a complete, running powertrain. The interior features cloth-upholstered seats and a cloth-covered dashbo

Chevrolet is showing not one, not even two, but three minicar concepts at this year's New York show. The best part? You get to vote on which concept you like best, and Chevy will use the results to gauge interest and taste among Americans. Which of the three d

The Groove is one of three concepts displayed at New York, all of which are built off of the next generation of GM's minicar architecture. (Chevy's current minicar, the Spark, is smaller than the Aveo and sold only in foreign markets.) The Groove has a bit of

You're going to need to pay very close attention here. This is the new Hyundai i30. No, it's not a mid-sized Infiniti sedan based on the Nissan Maxima - that was the I30. (Notice the capital I). It's also not a small BMW 1-series with a three-liter engine - th

Debuting at the 2007 Geneva Auto Show is the John Cooper Works (JCW) edition of the new Mini. Just like the last generation Mini, this new JCW kit should make an already sporty small ride a bit more fun.

Debuting at the 2007 Geneva Auto Show is the John Cooper Works (JCW) edition of the new Mini. Just like the last generation Mini, this new JCW kit should make an already sporty small ride a bit more fun.

March 2, 2007

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